How Brazil Gave Up 4 Goals In 6 Minutes In The Worst World Cup Collapse Ever

We will always remember what happened between the 23rd and 29th
minutes of the 2014 Brazil-Germany World Cup semifinal, when the
team that hadn't lost at home in 39 years suffered
a total collapse.

There will be books written about those six minutes. Germany
scored four goals, one on top of the other. Instead of four
separate incidents, it felt like one cohesive sequence, and when
the six minutes were over, so was the game.

It'd be far too speculative to say why it happened. But
we can at least try to explain how it happened.

When you analyze each of the goals, you find that Brazil made a
succession of simple errors during these six minutes. Germany was
brilliant, but Brazil looked dazed — guys were caught ball
watching, getting stuck out of position, and, worst of all, not
even running back to defend when the game was out of hand.

Germany scored its first goal the 11th minute to make it 1-0. The
next four goals all came between the 23rd and 29th minutes.

Philipp Lahm sends in a cross from the right side. There are
three Brazil defenders in the box and only one Germany player.
But all the Brazil defenders are watching the ball, and no one
picks up Toni Kroos making a deep run from midfield.

The cross gets to Kroos at the edge of the box and he scores to
make it 3-0.

ESPN

Goal No. 3 (25th minute): Brazil turns it over 40 yards
from goal, no one comes back to defend.

This is where things really come apart for Brazil.

Fernandinho turns it over in a terrible area. But after
that, Brazil simply doesn't run back to defend.

At the time of the giveaway, David Luiz is about 10 yards outside
the box, in position to get back:

ESPN

At the time of the goal, he had only moved about 8 yards:

ESPN

Goal No. 4 (29th minute): Brazil gives up.

This is the worst of the bunch. After a failed tackle at
midfield, Germany gets out on a 3-on-3 break.

There are four Brazilian players in a position to run back and
try to defend. Instead, they walk back toward the goal while
Germany scores.

Germany takes forever on this break, making two passes in the
box. But the Brazilians just stand there.

Look what the four midfielders are doing while Germany dinks it
around the box. They barely move:

ESPN

ESPN

When Germany scores, the four Brazilians are standing in place:

ESPN

Brazil was a dead team walking during these six minutes. They
were going through the motions, and it resulted in a humiliating
sequence that will be
talked about in Brazil for a long, long time.